Untitled
by MaskedMiss
Summary: Need help with title. Rewrite of Cold Tide Alchemist same basic plot. After losing the one she loved to resurrect her brother, she joins the army to redeem herself and find a better life for her and her sister. On the way, she meets Ed and Al.
1. Unscathed

**A/N:** _Okay, I'm sorry for leaving all my former readers from before hanging. I have plenty of excuses, but I don't like having to use them. However, I was unhappy with the actual story before, so I'm rewriting it and changing names, but the basic plots stays the same. Hopefully this will be more worth reading, though._

_Also, you might have noticed the story has yet been given a title. I put a poll up which I want you guys to decide where the story should go from here and determine the title. Please, I want your input. Peace out._

* * *

"No! Randy! What did I do?" She slammed her fists onto the stone floor where she lied, but the echo of her sobbing was the only answer. She looked up and took in the dark room. There were only a few candles lit, but there wasn't anything to see except for paper and books spread throughout.

But there was the body in the center of a circle full of designs and runes. It twitched. The movement was so small she thought it had been her imagination. It lifted its arm. She gave wide grin as sweat rolled down the side of her face.

She forgot about Randy. He wasn't there, but before her was George, her brother—alive! "George," she managed a whisper. Her heart was caught in her throat. He was alive! She had done what no other alchemist had successfully done before. She crawled to him weekly. "George, it's me!"

But as she got closer she could hear him wheezing. It didn't sound right. His arm fell back down to his side with a thump. She stopped and held back, her eyes widening. It was dark, but she knew something had gone wrong.

"Brother?" she didn't sound as certain as before. "I'm sorry for running away. I'm so sorry for everything. Please forgive me."

She saw his mouth begin to move. She almost jumped forward to him. "I'm here, George. Please—" she screamed, cutting her words short.

His body had been as gray as before, his eyes sunken, and his lips thin. He was still decaying. It moved again and she crawled with her elbows, kicking towards the body. "No! Stay away!" She swung her arms wildly in front of him as the body struggled to drag itself towards her. Its eyes were glowing red.

"You aren't my brother! Get away!" she put her hands on the ground, intending to stand and run, but the blue ray that was her alchemy ran through the floor and ahead of her as the ground shifted into spikes, running through the body and crashing against the roof.

She looked up in horror, her eyes wide, but no sound. She killed him, was all that she could think. He died once, he had been sick; there was little she could've done, but now she had simply killed. She killed her brother.

"No!" She set her hands back to the ground and it began to quake. Her throat became hoarse from the screaming, but from something else, too. Smoke. The candles had fallen and the flames gave her a clearer view of her crime. She looked to the stairs and then looked down at where she kneeled and only covered her face.

She coughed and her vision blared, but she didn't move. She killed her brother. And Randy. He wasn't there. He killed him too and didn't even have his body to cry over. She killed her brother and her only friend.

But despite everything, she decided to stand. She had killed them, and the guilt gripped and choked her heart, but looking up at the body being consumed in the flames, she realized she didn't want to end up the same. She wanted to live. She still had Lizzy waiting at home.

The stone spikes crumbled, the body falling down with it. She jumped back and stood, but it only made her feel light headed and dizzy. She made it to the stairs, but blackness blurred the edges of her vision and a cough overtook her. She fell midway on the stairs.

For a while she thought of the heat, of the flames taking over her body. She was going to die. And then nothing. She couldn't feel the heat and no thoughts worried her. She fainted.

"Ugh, my head!" she said putting a hand to her forehead. There was bandaging there. Why would there…

"Randy!" she sat up in an instant. She had wished more than believed it had all been a nightmare. She was in a hospital room. An empty bed was beside her, and a chair had been dragged against her own bed. No one was there.

"He's dead," Lizzy came in through the door. She had tied her copper hair back in a black ribbon, two strands falling on each of her green eyes. "They found his body under the rubble," she looked down at her feet. Her eyes were red and puffy, and light showed a streak that ran down her face. She had been crying.

"Body? How could—"

"They got to it before it turned to ashes," she was curt. She wanted no conversation.

"And George?"

Lizzy's head snapped back at this, her eyes wide in confusion. "Have you lost it? He died months ago. What does he have to do with anything?" They hadn't found any evidence of the transmutation. They thought the burned corpse was Randy's. She didn't know whether to be happy or morning.

"Jane?" Lizzy asked. "How did the fire start?"

Her heart fell to her stomach. She couldn't tell Lizzy what she'd done. Her sister already hated her enough. If she told her, she'd never see her again. She might as well have died. "I don't know," she lifted a hand to her head. It was the easiest lie. "I can't remember."

"Yeah, I bet," Lizzy said. Jane looked up at her and saw her sister glaring daggers at her. She glared back. She wished she hadn't. Her sister took it as a challenge. "Randy's dead because of you! First mom, then George, now him; you suck the life out of everyone!" Jane didn't bother to deny it. She only looked down at the fists that had formed on lap. "Just leave; run away. You seem to be pretty good at that! Why don't you jus—" a cough caught her short. She doubled over, covering her mouth with her small hand.

Jane ran out of bed and to her side, but Lizzy slapped her hand away. Instead, she leaned against the wall until the coughing ceased.

"I'm going to find a way to make you feel better," Jane said, looking away. She hated the way Lizzy looked at her. There wasn't pity or hurt in her eyes, just the certainty that Jane had failed and would fail. "Liz, I'm sorry. I won't be running away again. You need me to take care of you. I'll work, earn money, we'll keep living." She also wished she could go back to the small apartment and everything would be fine again.

No, she thought. Nothing was ever 'fine'. But it was certainly better than now. She had killed her brother and friend. How could she expect herself to have a happy life? She didn't deserve to go back and continue as if Randy had just died in some fire.

There was a knock at the door, but they didn't wait for a response. They opened the door slowly and Lizzy allowed Jane to help her up. Jane looked up at the black haired, blue uniformed official. Her stomach churned and her throat went dry.

"Good afternoon, ladies," he said. "I have a few questions for a Miss Jane Hart." Jane stared at Lizzy and she walked out. The man extended his hand and she shook it. "I'm Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist," he said.

"A State Alchemist?" she must have sounded stupid, but all she could think was that he had come to take her away. "What does the military want with me?"

"The investigation of the fire has been transferred to the military. I'm in charge of finding out what happened," he said with a pleasant, understanding smile, but she felt he was mocking her; patronizing her.

"I can't remember anything," she said curtly. "Sorry, but I can't tell you much."

"Well, that's okay. Just tell us what you do know," he waited expectantly. She said nothing. Her hands had begun to tremble and she couldn't trust her own voice. "Very well, let's start with what we do know. My team found evidence of an attack, but no resistance. The body we found had a stone spike in his chest." Her face paled, but he seemed not to have noticed. "But we also found that the body had already been long discomposing," his pleasant smile became none existent.

Jane bowed her head, defeated. "So are you going to arrest me now?"

"No," he said. Her eyes were wide and shining with hope, but her mind was clouded with confusion. "Others have lost their lives trying to do what you did. I know these two boys who lost more than you can imagine, and yet…I spoke with your doctor, and despite your injuries and burns, you're completely healthy. You performed the greatest taboo and came out unscathed," his voice was full of awe. What did he want, she wondered. Why was he telling her all this. "However, the body has been identified as Reynard Jones and the cause of death, immolation. I overheard your talk with your sister, and I can offer you a solution: Join the military; become a State Alchemist."

Her mouth hung open. She had not only committed a crime but performed a taboo against nature, and this man wanted her to join the military? He was even willing to cover everything up. "Is this blackmail?" she asked. Her voice cracked.

He shook his head. "No, your choice is entirely your own. Becoming a State Alchemist you'll have money to pay good doctors for your sister, or research medical alchemy. It's up to you; I won't force you into anything."

"Okay," she didn't need any more convincing. "Just tell me what I have to do," she said.

"Just stay in the City long enough and I'll let you know when the State Alchemists' exam is."


	2. Haunting Memories

**A/N:** _So, still no title. Bonez, I'm still hoping you'll give me a title idea, however, as to if it's good, I'm not too sure. Not too many people reading it, but as long as someone's enjoying it, I'm happy and will continue to do my best._

* * *

That day she left with Lizzy leaning reluctantly on her. She had had another coughing fit after Jane told her of her plans to join the military. But her sister remained quiet on the subject. The only other words Lizzy had said were, "Whatever; you do what you want." Somehow, Jane had hoped to argue with her on the necessity of it.

"Will you be living at the head quarters, then?" Lizzy asked after she had been able to carry her own weight.

Jane looked down. Did this mean she wanted her to stay or leave? "Well, we do live in the city. I think they'll let me stay at the apartment."

"Oh."

Nothing else was said. They stayed close, weaving through the crowded streets. This was the cheaper end of Central City, where the apartments were clustered together and the streets were never repaired. Men and women passed with carts, offering the best price for flowers and fruits. For most of her life, this had been her home, as for Lizzy, Jane had never asked her if she had left it before.

Their apartment building was one of the better ones. When they were younger they had to move a lot, not being able to pay the rent. It wasn't until her brother George had gotten a stable job in an automail workshop that they had been able to remain in a single place. This was the same apartment she had left little more than a couple years ago.

Lizzy climbed the steep, narrow stairs at a slower pace, and every so often Jane stopped and waited for her sister to catch up. Jane ignored the glares that her sister shot at her. She obviously didn't appreciate the gesture, but Jane had little reason to go on ahead. Only Lizzy had the key.

At the second floor they came to a single hall as narrow as the stairs. The wooden floor was stained and scratched. The roof hung low over them and the walls kept bare. The land lord made no effort to make it feel welcome.

They reached the door to their apartment. Lizzy pulled out a key and handed it to Jane. She had another cough coming. But as Jane reached forward to unlock the door, her hand froze. It began to shake. There was something behind that door that made her tremble like a child just woken from a nightmare.

"What is it?" Lizzy asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Jane said, being pulled from her thoughts, but her hand wouldn't move any further.

There was a movement at the corner of her eye and instantly she turned and jumped with fists high in the air. Nothing. She looked back to Lizzy who raised a brow questioningly. She apparently didn't expect an answer as she inserted the key and opened the door without a qualm.

Jane's heart caught at her throat. There in the center of their little living room stood Randy. His dark eyes looked at her in wonder from the blond hair that fell over his face. He was smiling and waving.

"What's wrong? Get in," Lizzy's voice sounded distant, as if in a dream.

Jane walked forward, smiling at him. He had made it. He was alive—

His eyes turned to two red, glowing orbs, his smile twisted and stretched, his skin grayed and his body seemed to thin in an instant. It lurched forward, and Jane, too, staggered back. She could no longer even see her sister.

She hit the wall behind her and the creature jumped and in an attempt to protect herself her arms flew up over her head as she gave a piercing scream. Tears ran down her face and she began to beg and plead, "No, please," and as hands took meager hold on her, she gasped and looked up. Lizzy. "Where is he? Where did he go?" she asked, confused. She wiped away the tears and looked around the hall. A few of residents had stepped out to see what had happened.

"Where did who go?" Lizzy asked.

"Randy! He was there, and he was going to…"

"Let's just go in. I'll make some food and some tea to calm your nerves," that might have been the first time she had ever heard Lizzy speak with pity in her voice. "Let's go in,"

"No!" she pulled away. "I can't go in there!" she felt desperate. Just thinking of going inside set her body shaking and nausea clenched at her stomach. She couldn't think of how unreasonable she was being. All she knew was that she could go inside. Pitifully she began to crawl out of Lizzy's reach and stood as she moved forward. Her eyes were wide and her face still pale with the memory of what she had seen. It had to have been real. Randy was waiting inside for her. She deserved to die for what she did to both her brother and friend, but she still didn't want to die.

"Jane! Wait, where are you going?"

She heard Lizzy struggling to keep up behind her, but she didn't feel safe until she was outside the building. She waited across the street for her sister. She slowed her pace when she saw Jane waiting for her at the other side.

"Jane, what just happened?"

"I… I don't know. I saw Randy, but then he change… he was going to take me with him, I'm sure of it," her voice was uncertain at first, but quickened considerably towards the end, almost as she wanted to be done with it and hear no more.

"Randy's gone, he can't do anything to you," despite her sympathetic tone, there was an ounce of anger and discomfort. Still, there was something of the way that she put her hand over Jane's shoulder and how she looked directly into her eyes. Mother, Jane thought, but it only brought sickened her stomach and she doubled over, a spasm taking over, but as she had eaten nothing the whole day, the only thing she had to vomit was her own spit. "You should go back to the hospital," she said.

"We don't have money for that. One visit is already enough," she said when the feeling subsided.

"When you're a State Alchemist you'll be able to pay it all," she said. She was scared, Jane knew. It was common enough for Lizzy to be the sick one and being fussed over, but Jane had never been like that. She had only had a cold or the flu, and they always passed away quickly.

"It's best we don't put all our hopes into that. There's no guarantee."

"Either way you'll have to work. This looks serious, Jane, and I think it's better if you get some medical attention. If we're both sick there's no way we'll be able to afford even that dump," she said with a small, nervous laugh.

Jane was about to shake her head, but another thought occurred to her. She couldn't go back to the apartment, but she had nowhere else to go. At least at the hospital she'd have a bed and a room. It was certainly better than sleeping on the streets, and despite her words, she dared to hope she'd become a State Alchemist.

"Alright," she said. "I can go on my own, though. You go home and get some rest."


	3. Enter the Elrics

**A/N:** _Evil Robina? How can I forget! I'm glad at least one of my CTA fans is reading this. It doesn't really seem to be more of a success, though, but despite that, I feel this story is a lot more developed than the other one. You have to tell me what you really think. Also, I still haven't thought of a title for the story or for her, so that's why I'm kind of dragging out the alchemy exam, but no worries, there will be lots of action soon enough :)  
_

* * *

Nothing was wrong. That's what the doctors had said. Jane's insistence allowed her to stay in for observation, however. For that night, she had a place to sleep comfortably. This wouldn't last for long, though. She spent the time thinking of where she would go if nothing happened over the night she spent there. She didn't want to leave Lizzy alone, but she wasn't about to sleep outside on the side walk. There was a shelter not too far from where they lived. Those who got there early enough would have a cot and a bowl of soup. That would certainly be a way to cut down on costs, on food anyway.

She had pulled a chair next to the window to stare out as she thought of where she would go, put a knock at the door called her attention. "Come in," she said.

The same man as before came in, wearing the same blue uniform. "Your sister told me I might find you here. She didn't say why you decided to come back, though," he said with a pleasant smile.

Jane stood up and stared at him awkwardly. "Oh, Colonel Mustang, sir, I—" she stuttered as she tried to find her words.

"Calm down, kid, I'm not your superior yet. I gathered from some of your neighbors that you had a panic attack. Do you think it's perhaps related to what you did?"

The man was kind, but frank. Jane had not considered what he said before. She had thought of the two things separately and never bothered to make a connection, even after she had come to her senses and realized it had been a hallucination. She shook her head. If he thought her weak in any way she would no longer be useful to him and she wouldn't be given the opportunity to become a State Alchemist.

"No, it's simply that that place had some bad memories for me. After what happened the night before and all, I guess it all just came rushing back," she lied. She was rather proud of how easily and nicely it had come to her.

"If that's all, why did you come here?" though that smile of his didn't shift in the slightest, it seemed to turn into a smirk. Was he mocking her?

"I had eaten some bad food and I ended up puking in the streets," she no longer tried to sound courteous or polite. Her tone was vulgar and defensive.

"The doctor attending to you said there was nothing wrong, and I know that if what you said was the truth, you're not in a position to be wasting money on your health when all you needed was to ride it out."

She said nothing, furrowed her brows, and turned her gaze to the floor, her fists clenched at her side. Just like last time he asked her questions whose answers he already knew. It seemed his purpose was simply to catch her in a lie.

"I already suspected that what happened to you was too good to be true," he said.

"Good, you say? What the hell is 'good' about… what I did?" she said.

"Well, put into perspective. But, what is it you lost exactly?" he asked.

She gritted her teeth. "I don't know. All I did was go back to my old apartment and I saw my friend, Randy, but his body changed, it looked a lot like that monster I created out of my brother. It went for me, but nothing happened."

"A hallucination," he sounded just as irritating as those doctors, summarizing all that she said. "What about later?"

"I ran away across the street and… I got really nauseous, but there wasn't anything to throw up," it was the same thing she had told the doctor.

"Was there anything that could have provoked it?"

"No, I—well, actually, yes. I thought of… I thought of…" it eluded her. Whatever had been her thoughts before, they escaped her now. "I don't know, but it was something important. Something I used to care a lot for."

Mustang nodded, affirming the fact. She had half expected him to believe she was lying. After all, she had feigned not knowing or remembering before.

"Let me know if this ever happens again. As for the exam, it's in three weeks. I'm assuming you know your way to the library? That exam won't be easy and you'll be expected to study every minute from now on. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" she couldn't help herself. Despite her mocking salute, she felt grateful that he hadn't changed his plans for her. "But there is this one problem," she said in a small voice after a while. "I'm afraid of going back home. I think that, whatever it is, it'll happen again if I go back."

Mustang stood rubbing his chin and looking up for while, dropping his formal stance. "Very well," he said after a moment. "I suppose it would be more beneficial for your studies if you stayed within the quarters of another State Alchemist. I'm giving no promises, though. I'll let you know tomorrow."

She nodded. "Thanks," she said, a sigh of relief escaping her.

"Right, but when you pass this exam, just know that the worst kind insubordination is lying; I won't tolerate it."

She bowed her head respectfully as he left the room. Somehow, she didn't doubt that he would find her a place to stay until she took the exam. He seemed reliable enough, though she couldn't stand that feeling in her gut when he spoke about her mistake. She couldn't help thinking that he knew too much, that he would use that information against her. Why wouldn't he. But what would he have to gain, she wondered.

She spent the day coming up with different answers to that question, but in the end they all seemed unlikely. She fell asleep, more for her own sake than actually feeling tired. Mustang might not have anything for her tomorrow, despite all the hopes she put on it.

"I see you slept comfortably," she startled awake at Mustang's voice. She looked to the window. The curtains were closed but light streamed in. Was it really morning already? "I can't say where you'll be staying next will be so comfortable."

She smiled. It didn't even surprise her. "It doesn't matter. It can't be worse than my own home," she said.

He laughed at that. "It's not the place, it's the people. You'll be staying at the home of Major Alex Louis Armstrong and his family. To say he's a little eccentric is an understatement."

"Well, I'm grateful for his hospitality," she said, completely honest.

"Oh, one more thing, the Fullmetal Alchemist arrived today. I sent for him to meet you. I think it can benefit you, as you are in a situation quite similar to his," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "How so?" she asked, more than just a little curious. She had heard enough stories of the Fullmetal Alchemist, and for her to be compared to him… she didn't know if it was a compliment to her or an insult to him. Perhaps because he was also very young when he became a State Alchemist?

"You'll know when you see him," he said.

"Brother, please, calm down!" she heard a child's voice coming from outside. The door was slightly ajar.

"Calm down? How can I when that bastard makes us come directly back to the city without giving us time to continue our research! And for what? To so some sick girl—Al, what was the room number again?"

"I think it's this one," the more childlike voice said. She thought she could hear the clanking of metal but shrugged it off.

"And you didn't tell me anything?"

Mustang walked to the door and opened it wide. "Fullmetal, glad to see you come all this way to see some sick girl," he said.

From where she sat on her bed she could see little, but Mustang ushered the two inside. A man in armor and a young, blond boy with golden eyes walked in. The blond one was dressed in black with a long red coat, despite the fact that it was summer. He avoided her gaze, his face a little flushed. Was he the one that had said those rude things, then? Was he Fullmetal? No, it couldn't, she thought. The one in armor was more likely.

"Jane, this is Alphonse," he pointed at the armored man. "And this is the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric," he pointed to the blond boy.

"No way," it slipped before she could even think. "But he's so small."

"You are you calling a pipsqueak runt that can't even reach the doorknob!" his hands balled into fists and he tried his best to loom over her.

"What the hell, I never said that!" she said. He also seemed too stupid to be the famous Fullmetal. "Mustang, I appreciate the gesture, but I think I'll do better on my own," she said, brows furrowed. She was awfully disillusioned with the real Fullmetal.

"I can't say I disagree, but regardless; Edward, Alphonse, this is Jane Hart. She'll be taking the State Alchemists' exam in three weeks," Mustang explained.

"No way—she looks too dumb," he said.

Heat rose to her face and she glared at the boy. "Shut it, pipsqueak," he glared back at the comment.

"Is she really?" The armored man's voice was that of a small child. It was eerie and rather unsettling. But he sounded kind and sincere. Mustang nodded.

"But I still don't understand why we're here," Ed said eyeing Mustang suspiciously.

"I'd like you boys to show her the ropes whenever she's free. I have no doubt she'll pass the written exam with flying colors. As for the practical, maybe Fullmetal can help you with that; his performance was quite something," he smirked at the last part.

"I'm not wasting my time with that idiot!"

He sounded so childish! He couldn't possibly be the Fullmetal Alchemist. But Mustang had no reason to lie.

"Colonel, I think I'll be fine. I'll be studying most of the time anyway, and I wouldn't like you to feel so confident in my abilities. Nothing's certain yet," but she felt just as confident as Mustang. She couldn't bring her brother back, but if she passed that exam Lizzy would be live comfortably.

Her head fell and she stared lazily at her lap. How could she dismiss her brother so easily? And Randy. Her brother died a second time because of her and Randy was gone just like him. No matter how she thought of it, she was a murderer. She wanted to hide, somewhere distant and dark. She didn't even want to be aware of herself. But looking up, she saw all three looking down at her. She felt as if they were accusing her of something.

"My things are already here, sir. If I could just change you can take me to the Armstrong residence immediately."

All nodded their heads and left. Only the Alphonse's gaze lingered. There was no expression or sigh that told her how he felt, but it was something stronger. She felt his sympathy. Did he know what she had done already, or was it something else? Certainly she had acted odd enough, acting so differently so suddenly.

She changed quickly. Lizzy had brought a suitcase full of her clothes at Jane's insistence. She had had no intention of entering into the apartment. It had never been a real home, anyway.

They were waiting in the hall, whispering to each other. When Edward looked at her, there was still anger there, but it wasn't directed at her, and it was mingled with grief and frustration. Her heart sank. She knew what they had been talking about.

"You! You told them?" she yelled at Mustang, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"This isn't the best place to discuss this," he said.

Despite her rage, she gritted her teeth and kept quiet, following him as he lead them down the hall and stairs.

Edward was directly next to her. "We won't tell anyone," he said. The mockery and rudeness from before left his voice. "We know what it's like…" he trailed off.

That was it. "You know nothing!" she hissed. "Do you have any idea what it's like—" As she spoke he was taking off the glove on his white hand. She stopped abruptly and gasped. It was automail. "I'm sorry," she said stupidly. It seemed like the only appropriate thing to say.

"And my brother," he was trailing behind them. "He's empty. I attached his soul to the armor before I lost him too," he said.

She bowed her head. "I lost my friend, Randy. I wasn't able to save him. I killed him. He's gone because of me."

"I'm sorry," he said. It was starting to sound like a funeral when all people could offer was that stupid phrase as comfort. "When Mustang told us just now, I thought you were lucky. I guess I was wrong, huh?" he gave a short laugh.

She bowed her head, counting her steps as she walked. What he said didn't make her feel any better and she wanted nothing more than to stop thinking.

From the lobby they went outside, where a blond woman in a military uniform waited, leaning against a black car. She saluted to Mustang, greeted the brothers, and nodded her head politely at Jane. She went around and climbed into the driver's seat as Mustang sat next to her. Jane and Edward were squashed together in the back seat from Al's massive size. Needless to say it was an uncomfortable ride.

Mustang didn't seem to take notice of their discomfort, though. "Well, I'm sure you all realize why I'd like you working together. It'll be easier for me to keep track of you," he said nonchalantly. The three stayed silent. Their conversation had certainly dampened their spirits. "Oh, Jane, what do you plan to do about your sister?"

"I can't plan anything for her. If she wants to stay in the apartment, that's up to her. It's better this way," she said.

"Sister?" Ed and Al said in unison.

"Yeah, her name's Lizzy." She refused to say much else. What would she say? They don't really get along because she left Lizzy and her family and didn't even call or write to them in three years?

Fortunately they didn't press her any further.

"Say, Jane?" she turned to Al. "Where is it you're staying?"

Mustang answered for her. "The Armstrong residence."


End file.
